Juul says its chief executive is stepping down, accepts proposed ban on most flavored vaping products

Juul Labs, the big e-cigarette maker that is embroiled in controversy involving the rising underage use of vaping products, announced Wednesday that its chief executive officer is stepping down and will be succeeded by a top official from Altria, a part-owner of Juul.

Juul also said it will not lobby against a proposed ban, announced recently by President Trump, on most flavored vaping products. It said it is suspending all broadcast, print and digital product advertising in the United States.

Kevin Burns, Juul’s chief executive officer, is being succeeded by K.C. Crosthwaite, Altria’s senior vice president for chief strategy and growth. Crosthwaite oversaw “commercial and regulatory efforts” related to the launch in the United States of IQOS, a “heat-not-burn” alternative to cigarettes, Juul said in a news release. IQOS is made by Philip Morris International and marketed in the United States by Altria.

Altria owns a 35 percent stake in Juul.

FDA blasts Juul for illegally marketing e-cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes

Juul also said it will end its “Make the Switch” campaign that FDA officials had criticized for implying that its e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. The agency has to give companies specific authorization to make such a claim.

The staff shake-up was announced by Burns and Juul co-founders James Monsees and Adam Bowen. [Read More @ The Washington Post]

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